Pairing great food with seasonal spirits!

Tuna Noodle Casserole with a Wheat Ale

Winter months bring out the nostalgia in me. I find that I make a lot more dishes from when I was a kid during the winter. This week I wanted to try my hand at Tuna Casserole.

Tuna noodle casserole has a long tradition in US (or at least a little over a decade worth of tradition). My grandmother has a version of it called Seven Seas Casserole in her cookbook which includes rice, tuna, and pantry vegetables. From what I understand, it was another casserole dish that was put together with whatever was found in the pantry. My version is based off of what I remember my mother making when I was a little kid.

As for the pairing, I wanted something that wouldn’t be to heavy, especially since the cold spell over the Northeast broke last week. How about a wheat ale to go with the tuna?

The Beer:

Yakima Wheat Ale by Schlafly is described as “crisp, clean finish, and blend. Citrus and earth notes of pine and spice” on the bottle. It says it’s a seasonal beer, so I’m assuming it’s a winter beer (I brought it in January). It is a winter beer that pairs well with a classic American casserole?

Style: Unfiltered wheat ale with 5.0% alc/vol

Color: Amber yellow

Aroma: Rich citrus

Taste: Lots of rich flavors with just a hint of citrus

Level of Recommendation: Good for a warmer winter day.

The Food:

This recipe is for a two serving casserole dish. For a larger casserole dish, double the portions.

What you’ll need:

1 can of tuna

1/2 can of cream of mushroom soup

Egg noodles (enough to cover the bottom layer of the casserole dish)

Water (small amount)

Frozen peas

1/8 – 1/4 cup of butter

Bread crumbs

Shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Bring a sauce pan of water to boil, add egg noodles and cook until tender. In a soup pan add in the mushroom soup and some water, just enough to make the mushroom soup become smooth. Open a can of tuna and drain of excess fluid.

Layer the noodles, tuna, frozen peas, and soup (in that order) in the casserole dish). Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

While the casserole cooks, in a microwave safe bowl melt the butter. Once the butter is melted, mix with the bread crumbs and cheese.

Remove the casserole from the oven and add the cheese, bread crumb, and butter mixture on top. Place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts and is starting to slightly brown.

The Pairing:

I love the gooey cheesy top of the tuna noodle casserole. There’s just a little bit of crunch to this meal. The beer makes the tuna feel a little less fishy (more like chicken). There’s a bit more of the earthy spice and citrus when paired with this food. The pairing feels a little lighter than having the two separate.